HS BASEBALL: Rebels fall to SA Central despite best efforts

Lee High's Wesley Hall slides safe into third base against San Angelo Central's Josh Barnett on Tuesday, April 28, 2015, at Ernie Johnson Field. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Lee High's Wesley Hall slides safe into third base against San Angelo Central's Josh Barnett on Tuesday, April 28, 2015, at Ernie Johnson Field. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Photo: James Durbin

Photo: James Durbin

Image
1of/3

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 3

Lee High's Wesley Hall slides safe into third base against San Angelo Central's Josh Barnett on Tuesday, April 28, 2015, at Ernie Johnson Field. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Lee High's Wesley Hall slides safe into third base against San Angelo Central's Josh Barnett on Tuesday, April 28, 2015, at Ernie Johnson Field. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Photo: James Durbin

HS BASEBALL: Rebels fall to SA Central despite best efforts

1 / 3

Back to Gallery

The Lee baseball team was finally able to get to San Angelo Central starter Davis Martin in the fourth inning. The Rebels challenged the Bobcats’ ace for the next three innings, but Martin was able to pitch his way to a complete game, 3-2 win for Central, Tuesday at Ernie Johnson Field.

In the end, it was the same story for the Rebels. The inability to hit with runners in scoring position has been the team’s achilles heel for a while.

“It’s been that way for three years,” Lee coach Brian Roper said.

Lee (11-11-1, 3-6 in District 3-6A) would have been eliminated from playoff contention with its loss to Central (16-8-2, 7-2 in District 3-6A), combined with a win by Odessa High against Odessa Permian. But thanks to the Panthers, who rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the bottom of the seventh and won their first district game of the season, the Rebels’ season is still alive.

The Bobcats jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first off of Lee left-handed starter Chapman Payton.

Brock Martin reached on an error by shortstop Ty Coleman and then Josh Minjarez singled behind him. Davis Martin drove in Brock Martin with an RBI groundout and then Josh Barnett placed a single just past the reach of Lee third baseman John Wuthrich to drive in Minjarez.

Meanwhile, Davis Martin rolled through the first three innings against Lee. He struck out five of the Rebels’ first nine batters.

But Lee was able to break his momentum in the fourth.

Leadoff hitter Garrett Chalker reached on error by Barnett at third, Hunter Coleman followed with a walk and then Wuthrich eventually brought Chalker home on sacrifice fly to center to cut Central’s lead in half.

And in the bottom of the sixth, Lee rallied again. With the bases loaded and one out, Brady Roper, in what ended up being his final at-bat at Ernie Johnson Field, drove in Ty Coleman with an RBI single to left field. The Lee crowd roared as it could smell a potential game-changing rally.

“I think a guy like that (Davis Martin), he was in a rhythm,” Brady Roper said. “All it took was a little bit of a spark to kind of throw him off, get him off his ryhthm, rattle him a little bit.”

But Martin recovered and struck out the next two Lee batters looking to end the threat.

Martin finished his complete game win with 10 strikeouts and just one walk, while allowing five hits. Barnett led Central offensively, going 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.